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1. Study
2. Postgraduate
3. Taught Courses
4. Doctorate
5. Doctor of Social Science

Course Fact File

Code	DSocSc
Duration	4 Years Full-Time or 6 Years Part-Time
Qualifications	PhD
NFQ Level	Level 10
Closing Date	Currently open for applications for October 2025 intake.
Credits	360
Start Date	October 2025

Course Outline

The Doctor of Social Science (DSocSc) at University College Cork was established in 2005 and is a four-year advanced programme which provides the opportunity for experienced professionals based in public sector agencies, voluntary/community organisations, educational institutions and international non-governmental organisations to work on complex issues that are of direct relevance to their professional practice and organisational contexts.

The DSocSc programme is underpinned by a number of key themes which run throughout the four years and are reflected in the modules offered:

• Conducting social research: from design to dissemination. The focus here is on qualitative and quantitative research methods and skills as well as the experience and politics/ethics of conducting social research.
• Social policy debates and processes. Contemporary social policy debates are engaged with in order to strengthen students’ analytical skills in critically evaluating policy-making processes and outcomes.
• Social justice. What does the creation of a more socially just and equitable society mean and entail? The programme addresses this question by examining ideas of social justice and how these are applied in professional practice, policy debates and research.
• Integrating research in organisational contexts. The application of research in organisations receives repeated attention in the modules offered in this programme.

Course Practicalities

The DSocSc is a four year programme, with eight modules taught across the first two years (four in each year).

These modules provide students with the necessary skills to undertake their own substantive research in years three and four, resulting in the production of a thesis of approximately 60,000 words.

Modules

Year 1 (90 credits)

Semester 1 (September – December)

• SS7001 An Introduction to Social Research (15 credits)
• SS7002 Philosophies of Social Science (15 credits)

Semester 2 (January – April)

• SS7003 Research Methods and Skills 1: Qualitative (15 credits)
• SS7004 Social Policy Debates and Processes (15 credits)

Participants also undertake 30 credits of thesis work.

Year 2 (90 credits)

Semester 1 (September – December)

• SS7005 Research Methods and Skills 2: Quantitative (15 credits)
• SS7006 State and Society (15 credits)

Semester 2 (January – April)

• SS7007 The Politics and Ethics of Social Research (15 credits)
• SS7008 Designing for Research and Evaluation (15 credits)

Participants also undertake 30 credits of thesis work

Year 3

• Supervised research/thesis work (90 credits)

Year 4

• Supervised research/thesis work (90 credits) culminating in production of 60,000 word thesis.

*Online individual and group tutorials throughout the course

Why Choose This Course

As an alternative to the traditional research-based PhD, the DSocSc provides a more structured learning environment that combines both teaching and research. Participants currently enrolled on the programme bring a range of different professional backgrounds, including public sector management, social research, education, community work, international development, social work and youth work.

Skills and Careers Information

Professionals working in the above areas are increasingly being expected to ground their practice and decision–making in evidence from research and evaluation. The DSocSc programme provides participants with the opportunity to:

• Acquire competency as an autonomous researcher able to undertake and interrogate research and to communicate its outcomes.
• Gain a deeper understanding of theoretical frameworks underpinning the social sciences and social policy and examine how these can bring insights to their own practice and organisation.
• Develop skills in qualitative and qualitative and quantitative research design and methodologies in order to produce reliable primary data, and be able to analyse and critically evaluate primary and secondary data.
• Identify the roles of research and evaluation within organisations and apply existing research findings to issues emerging in the workplace and other relevant contexts.
• Demonstrate intellectual/professional leadership through the use of research as a method of developing organisations and service provision.

Requirements

Fees and Costs

How To Apply